Two days – two stags

If I had to describe with one word this latest Sambar backpacking hunt, it would be – Epic! 

Cutting the trip short because I had two Sambar stags on the deck is a first for me! The first stag was shot on the first evening. He appeared out of thick cover 90m above me. I hind called him several times, and he would pause briefly, look my way but continued walking along the game trail.

Finally, he succumbed to the temptation, turned and made a beeline straight for me. At 30m, the arrow made a clean pass through, and the stag ran off. I returned the next morning and tracked him to where he expired in the middle of a nearby river.

The following morning, I sat in a promising spot and began “blind calling”. After 20 min movement caught my eye. A mature Sambar hind came trotting in my direction, frantically searching for the distressed fawn sounds I was making. She was followed by her own fawn and a yearling hind.

As I fumbled around with my camera, a mature stag emerged from the thick undergrowth in full rut mode.

Things escalated quickly as the lead hind trotted toward me with the stag in tow. I ranged the hind at 20m and the stag at 35m and closing in fast on the hind.

I quickly drew my bow, centered the pin on his shoulder, and squeezed off the shot! There was no tracking required this time as the stag went down within sight! I was left shaking and mind blown, it all happened so quickly.

In preparation for this hunt, I was undeterred with the rain forecast for most days, thanks to Huntech’s reliable rain gear. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Thank you, Huntech!